Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda features the following three themes: A Vibrant Society, A Thriving Economy, and An Ambitious Nation. Among other core goals, the Kingdom is leveraging its investment power to alleviate its economic reliance on oil and gas and position itself as a global tourism hub with the development of several megaprojects involving major entertainment attractions. These projects will contribute to creating a more diverse economy and providing a more sustainable future for the Kingdom and its citizens.
Among other notable developments, Saudi Arabia is building the smart city NEOM, which will be powered solely by clean energy, as well as the The Red Sea Project and Qiddiya. Expected to be completed by 2030, Qiddiya is a master-planned entertainment city that will be the largest of its kind in the world. Situated about 40 kilometers from downtown Riyadh, Qiddiya will cover 334 square kilometers and will feature the world’s largest Six Flags Park, the largest water-themed park in the Middle East, and world-class sporting infrastructure. Below is a look at five recent headlines involving Qiddiya.
Saudi Arabia’s First Water Park
The water park in Qiddiya will not only be the largest in the Middle East, but the first in Saudi Arabia. El Seif Engineering Contracting and ALEC Saudi Arabia Engineering & Contracting were awarded a $750 million contract to construct the park, which will include 22 rides spread throughout 22.5 hectares. In February 2023, Qiddiya signed an $18.3 million contract with Keir International to perform engineering, design, electrical, civil and electrochemical, and communications work for the park.
Nine of the 22 rides will be the first of their kind, while the park itself will feature nine distinct zones named after native animals inhabiting the surrounding area. Water conservation will be a key element of the park. Water evaporation will be reduced by 50 percent through the use of technologies to reduce the water pressure in rides. Rainwater will also be captured, treated, and recycled for irrigation purposes.
$1 Billion Six Flags Qiddiya
While the water park will be the biggest in the Middle East, it isn’t even the most ambitious theme park in Qiddiya. Saudi company Almabani General Contractors and French firm Bouygues Batiment International are constructing the $1 billion Six Flags Park which, at 32 hectares, will be the largest Six Flags property in the world.
The Six Flags Park will have more than two dozen rides and attractions, including the 4-kilometer Falcon’s Flight roller coaster, in the following six themed areas: City of Thrills, Discovery Springs, Valley of Fortune, Steam Town, Twilight Gardens, and Grand Exposition. The high-speed roller coaster will travel as fast as 250 kilometers per hour. Ride and attraction designs will incorporate elements of Saudi Arabian culture.
F1 Race at Qiddiya Delayed Until 2027
Formula 1 (F1) debuted in Saudi Arabia at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in March 2021. The racing series will continue to host an annual race in the Kingdom through 2035 as part of a 15-year deal. Originally, the annual Saudi stop for F1 was supposed to move to Qiddiya in 2025, but it was announced in January 2023 that the new entertainment city won’t begin hosting the F1 race until 2027.
“The Qiddiya automotive center is being designed to lead the world in Formula 1 circuit design and entertainment,” said Saudi Motorsport Company CEO Martin Whitaker. “A unique and exciting project, Qiddiya will be a location that everyone will want to visit but right now and in the immediate future the focus and eyes of the world will be on Jeddah and the Red Sea coastline in the month of March.”
Whitaker added that F1 gave a clear directive that they won’t want to be holding races in Qiddiya while “it is effectively a building site.”
Qiddiya Stadium to Host Matches for 2027 AFC Asian Cup
Qiddiya will have several sporting venues, including a cliff-top stadium with more than 40,000 seats in addition to VIP seats and corporate hospitality lounges. The stadium is one of seven venues, three of which are under construction, which will host games for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. Qiddiya Stadium will also be the home stadium for the Riyadh football clubs Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr.
The Qiddiya Golf Course
Jack Nicklaus, one of the greatest golfers of all time, is building a signature golf course in Qiddiya. Construction of the world-class course began in 2021, at which point there were just five golf courses in the Kingdom and roughly 5,000 golfers. The new course is an initiative of Golf Saudi to help grow the sport in the Kingdom and potentially host European Tour events.
The 18-hole course will feature wide fairways, have no rough, and include manmade lakes for irrigation storage. It is the Middle East’s first Jack Nicklaus Signature Design course that involves design contributions from the Golden Bear himself.